Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease-IV: Assessement and Diagnostic Studies

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease-IV: Assessement and Diagnostic Studies

Assessing and diagnosing Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) involves a detailed approach that includes a comprehensive review of medical history, physical examination, and a variety of diagnostic tests. This thorough evaluation is essential to ensure an accurate diagnosis and guide effective management strategies.
Medical History

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease-I: Introduction

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease-I: Introduction

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is a long-lasting respiratory condition requiring continuous attention and care. It is a progressive lung disease that leads to breathing challenges due to airflow obstruction. It manifests as persistent respiratory symptoms and restricted airflow resulting from abnormalities in the airways and alveoli, usually due to long-term exposure to harmful particles or gases. COPD mainly consists of two primary conditions: emphysema and chronic bronchitis.

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease-II: Pathophysiology

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease-II: Pathophysiology

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) pathophysiology is intricate and multifaceted, involving a complex interplay of physiological processes. Understanding these mechanisms is crucial for effectively managing and treating COPD. Here is an in-depth look at the critical elements in the pathophysiology of COPD:
Chronic Inflammation

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

COPD is defined as a heterogeneous lung condition marked by persistent respiratory symptoms such as dyspnea, cough, and sputum production, caused by abnormalities in the airways that cause airflow obstruction.
Smoking is a primary risk factor for COPD, with over 80% of patients having a history of it. Patients typically experience progressive dyspnea or labored breathing, frequent coughing, and recurrent pulmonary infections. Many eventually succumb to respiratory failure, characterized by...

COPD: Pathogenesis and Clinical Features

COPD: Pathogenesis and Clinical Features

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a group of lung conditions that progressively worsen over time, including chronic bronchitis and emphysema. This cluster of diseases collectively leads to a gradual and irreversible decline in lung function over time.
The primary cause for the onset of COPD is cigarette smoking and exposure to air pollution. These hazardous factors initiate a chain reaction within the lungs, resulting in chronic inflammation, damage to the airways, and a...

Asthma-II: Pathophysiology and Classification

Asthma-II: Pathophysiology and Classification

Asthma is a prevalent chronic respiratory condition marked by inflammation and hyperresponsiveness of the airways. Its pathophysiology involves complex interactions among inflammatory pathways, immune responses, and neural mechanisms.
Additionally, environmental and genetic factors play crucial roles in determining an individual's susceptibility to asthma and the severity of their condition.
Critical processes in asthma pathophysiology include:

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same author

COPD maintenance trials use heterogeneous outcomes and measurement instruments: a systematic literature review.

European respiratory review : an official journal of the European Respiratory Society·2026

Same author

COPD Trial Evidence Comes From a Narrow Slice of the World: A Population Representativeness Analysis.

Chest·2026

Same author

ERS Congress 2025: highlights from the Airway Diseases Assembly.

ERJ open research·2026

Same author

Find your career: the ERS "My Career Path" series.

Breathe (Sheffield, England)·2026

Same author

Blood eosinophil count as a biomarker for therapy guidance in COPD and asthma exacerbations.

Breathe (Sheffield, England)·2026

Same author

Energy and Protein Intake in Mild-Moderate COPD Patients.

Lung·2026

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Aug 24, 2025

Methodology for Sputum Induction and Laboratory Processing

Methodology for Sputum Induction and Laboratory Processing

Published on: December 17, 2017

Identification of COPD Inflammatory Endotypes Using Repeated Sputum Eosinophil Counts.

Augusta Beech^1,2, Natalie Jackson², Dave Singh¹

¹Division of Immunology, Immunity to Infection and Respiratory Medicine, Faculty of Biology, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, School of Biological Sciences, Medicine and Health, The University of Manchester, Manchester M23 9LT, UK.

|October 27, 2022

Summary

Sputum eosinophil counts in COPD patients are generally stable over time, particularly at lower levels. Higher eosinophil counts show more variability, aiding in identifying COPD subtypes for tailored treatments.

Keywords:

COPD endotype eosinophil eosinophil repeatability microbiome sputum

More Related Videos

Quality-Controlled Sputum Analysis by Flow Cytometry

Quality-Controlled Sputum Analysis by Flow Cytometry

Published on: August 9, 2021

A Reversible, Non-invasive Method for Airway Resistance Measurements and Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid Sampling in Mice

A Reversible, Non-invasive Method for Airway Resistance Measurements and Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid Sampling in Mice

Published on: April 13, 2010

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Aug 24, 2025

Methodology for Sputum Induction and Laboratory Processing

Methodology for Sputum Induction and Laboratory Processing

Published on: December 17, 2017

Quality-Controlled Sputum Analysis by Flow Cytometry

Quality-Controlled Sputum Analysis by Flow Cytometry

Published on: August 9, 2021

A Reversible, Non-invasive Method for Airway Resistance Measurements and Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid Sampling in Mice

A Reversible, Non-invasive Method for Airway Resistance Measurements and Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid Sampling in Mice

Published on: April 13, 2010

Area of Science:

Pulmonology
Respiratory Medicine
Clinical Research

Background:

Higher blood and sputum eosinophil counts correlate with better corticosteroid response in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD).
Blood eosinophil counts show stability, but airway eosinophil stability is less understood.
Understanding sputum eosinophil stability is crucial for COPD endotyping and treatment personalization.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the stability and repeatability of sputum eosinophil counts in COPD patients over a 6-month period.
To determine if sputum eosinophil count stability varies across different baseline eosinophil level categories.

Main Methods:

Analysis of differential cell counts from sputum samples of 100 COPD patients.
Inclusion of subjects with two sputum eosinophil counts taken 6 months apart.
Stratification into low (<1%), intermediate (1-3%), and high (≥3%) baseline sputum eosinophil groups for stability analysis.

Main Results:

Sputum eosinophil counts demonstrated good overall stability (rho = 0.61, ICC = 0.77).
Patients with low baseline sputum eosinophils (<1%) showed the highest stability (67.4% remained in the same category).
Higher baseline eosinophil counts (intermediate and high groups) exhibited greater variability upon repeat sampling.

Conclusions:

Sputum eosinophil counts are acceptably stable in COPD patients, especially in the low eosinophil group.
The variability of sputum eosinophil counts increases with higher baseline levels.
These findings support the use of sputum eosinophil counts for identifying COPD endotypes with differential treatment responses.